Ranky Tanky
Get funky with this soulful mix of jazz, gospel, funk, and R&B interpreted through the timeless music of Gullah culture.
"Combining revered Gullah kinship with a jazz sensibility, Ranky Tanky accentuates the spirituality connected to the ring shouts and praise houses, proposing a modern rendition of their ancestral music." —All About Jazz
Ranky Tanky’s name is a Gullah expression that means “work it” or “get funky.” They live up to the name. Two months after their eponymous debut album was released, it worked its way to #1 on Billboard, iTunes, and Amazon jazz charts. It should come as no surprise. Their soulful songs, which mix jazz, gospel, funk, and R&B with the timeless music of Gullah culture, are transcendent. While the band started as a jazz quartet in the ‘90s, they found a powerful voice with Quiana Parler. NPR says, “[Parler’s] range, power and control of subtle ornamentation … could bring down the house all by herself.”